Finally, I’ve found some procurement news that green buyers and suppliers, distributors and developers can all use. Sure, hyping great new programs and investments is great stuff, but this article from purchasing.com gets down to the nitty gritty of manufacturing decisions. In the interview they did with Harry Brix, director of procurement for Paradigm Group in Syosset, N.Y., they discuss his need for green suppliers.

Since corporations have been noticing that environmental responsibility sells, some manufacturers may make a green claim just to get a contract. This article describes the method Brix uses to decipher the good deals from the false claims.

The 6-12 month process starts with receiving a product sample, which is then sent to a lab, and then a plant inspection is done(while there are many great offers overseas, inspecting those facilities usually requires a third party). Even still, the process is apparently worth it since buyers tend to pay “10-20%” more for a green product with eco appeal.

Making an informed decision is key and getting the best deal is a priority, so it makes sense to do comprehensive audits. Maybe a foreign company really is setting a green example in their manufacturing process so in no way should they be immediately out of consideration for bidding. It’s also possible that foreign governments might help companies in their jurisdiction to do business cheaper through certain subsidies.

However, (and maybe this is just the patriotic side of me), shouldn’t an American manufacturer, which would emit drastically lower amounts of carbon compared to overseas shipping, get high consideration for being green? Does the audit take that into consideration or does it only focus on the factory processes?

Hopefully, at some point, American corporations will be able to realize higher profits by using/supporting products made by the local green collar workforce. The ‘Made in the USA’ label could almost be synonymous with green because of the reduced carbon emissions. Now that’s eco appeal.